Iran is not sending ambassador to Sweden in protest over Quran incident

The Islamic Republic of Iran will not send a new ambassador to Sweden to protest against the burning of the holy Quran outside a Mosque in Stockholm, the largest city and the capital of Sweden.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said on Sunday that his country will refrain from sending a new ambassador to Sweden over the incident of burning of a copy of the Quran, describing it as an insult to the most sacred Islamic sanctities.

A man burned the holy Quran outside Stockholm’s central mosque on Wednesday, the first day of Islam’s Eid al Adha holidays, one of the main holidays celebrated among Muslims. The incident sparked outrage among Middle East countries.

The man, who described himself as an Iraqi refugee, was charged with incitement against an ethnic or national group by Swedish police. Swedish authorities condemned the incident. The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the incident. 

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The Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign ministry summoned Sweden’s charge d’affaires in Tehran, the capital of Iran, on Thursday, condemning the incident. Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani also condemned Sweden over the incident.

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian wrote on Twitter, “Although administrative procedures to appoint a new ambassador to Sweden have ended, the process of dispatching them has been held off due to the Swedish government’s issuing of a permit to desecrate the Holy Quran.”

روز گذشته با همکارم آقای حجت‌الله فغانی، سفیر جدید کشورمان در سوئد،به تفصیل صحبت کردیم و ایشان نیز گزارشی از آخرین وضعیت حوزه مأموریت خود ارائه کردند.
علی‌رغم پایان مراحل اداری،فعلا روند اعزام سفیر به سوئد به علت اقدام دولت این کشور در صدور مجوز جسارت به ساحت قرآن‌کریم متوقف شد.

— H.Amirabdollahian امیرعبداللهیان (@Amirabdolahian) July 2, 2023

While Swedish police have recently rejected multiple petitions for anti-Quran demonstrations, Swedish courts have overturned those judgments, claiming they violated free expression.

The European Union (EU) also criticized the Quran burning in Sweden. The EU called the incident “offensive,” “disrespectful” and an “act of provocation.” Nabila Massrali, the EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said, “Manifestations of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance have no place in Europe.”